Red-twig Dogwood

Cornus sericea is a deciduous North American native shrub grown primarily for its vivid red stems, which are most striking in winter against snow or bare ground. It also produces clusters of small white drupes in late summer that are a significant food source for birds and other wildlife. Fast-growing and cold-hardy to zone 2, it earns its place in landscapes ranging from naturalized streambanks to formal shrub borders.

The shrub spreads by underground suckers and can form dense thickets over time, which is an asset for erosion control on slopes or streambanks but requires active management in smaller gardens. Stem color is most intense on young growth — one- and two-year-old wood shows the deepest red. To sustain this display, cut one-third of the oldest, grayest stems to the ground each late winter, or do a full hard rejuvenation prune every three to five years. The shrub tolerates consistently wet soils, making it one of the few ornamental shrubs suited to rain gardens and chronically poorly drained sites.

Indigenous peoples across North America used the inner bark as part of kinnikinnick, a traditional smoking mixture blended with tobacco or other plant material. Bark preparations were also applied or taken as teas for fevers, as an astringent for skin conditions, and as an analgesic across multiple tribal traditions.